|
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
US Supreme Court to Hear Second Amendment Case TuesdayHawaii residents with concealed-carry permits challenged the state's law. The residents, alongside a gun-rights group, argued that the government has no imperative to prohibit citizens from carrying concealed weapons in public spaces.
Wolford v. Lopez challenges a Hawaii law that prevents concealed carry permit holders from bringing handguns to beaches, bars, restaurants that serve alcohol and gas stations without the owners' permission. The Hawaii law stems from the Supreme Court's decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, where justices struck down a New York law requiring concealed carry holders to display the need to defend themselves. "The Second and Fourteenth Amendments protect an individual's right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home," Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the court's 2022 decision. Thomas further elaborated that gun restrictions should only be upheld if they are consistent with the "historical tradition" of the United States. In 2023, Hawaii implemented a law making it a misdemeanor for concealed carry holders to bring a gun on private property. The misdemeanor carries a sentence of up to a year in prison. Hawaii residents with concealed-carry permits challenged the state's law. The residents, alongside a gun-rights group, argued that the government has no imperative to prohibit citizens from carrying concealed weapons in public spaces. "There is no comparable historical—or even modern-day—tradition of allowing the government to create a no-carry default rule for private property open to the public," lawyers for the residents wrote to the Supreme Court. Lawyers for the gun-rights group also pointed to the disproportionate effect Hawaii's law will have on rural areas with parks and beaches. "These bans are applicable to hundreds of thousands of acres of public land throughout Hawaii, even though the State allows hunting with firearms in many areas of these parks and forests," lawyers wrote in a petition to the court. In a brief to the Supreme Court, Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez said the state instituted its law to protect citizens from hosting armed individuals on private property. Lopez points to a longstanding history of limiting the right of Hawaiian citizens to carry weapons in public spaces. "Property owners in Hawai'i could assume that—unless they made express arrangements to the contrary—firearms would not be carried onto their property, even if it was open to the public," Lopez wrote in a brief to the nation's highest court. Lawyers for Hawaii also argue that the Second Amendment, at the time of the nation's founding, did not include the right to enter private property with a weapon. "The Founders recognized a property owner's right to exclude," the lawyers wrote. "Accordingly, at the Founding, a person had no right to enter private property with a gun unless he had the owner's express consent or an implied license based on local law or custom." In lower court litigation, Hawaii pointed to a 1771 New Jersey law and an 1865 Louisiana law that explicitly required consent before entering a private property of any kind with a gun. Lower courts upheld Hawaii's arguments on the basis of these laws. "The overall purpose of all the laws was plainly to protect a property owner's right to exclude firearms," lawyers for Hawaii wrote. "Variation in the specific reasons why owners might wish to preclude guns—from preventing unwanted hunting to promoting safety, comfort or self-defense—does not undermine the basic fact that laws that vindicate the fundamental right to exclude are well within the tradition of American firearm regulation." Lawyers for the concealed-carry holders argued Hawaii relied on faulty evidence to assert other laws were similar to the state's ban. They argued certain public spaces, like beaches and public parks, would not be considered in the original bans, which fundamentally alters the state's argument. "Under that approach, 'the original understanding of the Second Amendment,'" the lawyers wrote, referencing a lower court judge's opinion, "'Would not apply to any new types of public spaces that would develop in the future.'" Gun rights and gun control advocates will be watching as justices on the Supreme Court prepare to hear arguments in a consequential Second Amendment case on Tuesday. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here
To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE
Other Recent Articles from Breaking Christian News The Man Who Lit the Washington Monument Like a Candle Mortgage Rates Fall, Purchase Applications and Refinances Jump School District Accused of Forcing Kids to Hide Bibles [Video] Education Department Opens 18 Investigations into Trans Policies in Schools US Supreme Court to Hear Second Amendment Case Tuesday 92% of Venezuelans are 'Grateful' to Trump for Maduro Capture Don Lemon Needs a Lesson in YOUR Rights (Courtesy of MLK on His Day) 'Despicable' Anti-ICE Mob Storms Minnesota Church during Service, Terrifying Children Dr. Alveda King: Happy New Year, Happy Birthday Uncle Florida Joins Texas in Ending American Bar Association's 'Gatekeeper' Grip on Law Schools Nick Shirley Drops Another Bombshell Video, Exposing Even More Fraud [Videos] DHS: NY Times' 'Despicably Misleading Headline' Is Why Media Aren't Trusted Alaska Finally Complies With Federal Law Defunding Planned Parenthood from Medicaid US Armada Nears Middle East amid Heartbreaking Stories from Iran: 'They're Shooting Their Children' President Trump Receives an Historic Gift from Venezuela's Opposition Leader VP Vance's Tie-Breaking Vote Tanks Resolution Restricting Venezuela Military Actions House Republicans Have Enough Votes to Hold Clintons in Contempt of Congress, Comer Reveals Search the Articles Archives |
All articles on this site and emails from BCN are copyrighted property of Breaking Christian News. Permission is given to link to, or share a BCN story if proper attribution is given to both the original writer and summarizer of the story. Breaking Christian News 2005-2019. All Rights Reserved.
Breaking Christian News is a division of Elijah List Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Disclaimer: Articles and links, as well as the source articles linked to; do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Breaking Christian News.
| Home | Store | Subscribe | Facebook | Article Archive |